


A Night At The Ballet

by gabinotbraun (Gabz)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: A different take on Marley Arc, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Dom/sub Undertones, Hate Sex, M/M, Marley (Shingeki no Kyojin), Marley Arc (Shingeki no Kyojin), Masochist Zeke, One Shot, Power Bottom Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Rough Sex, Undercover, ZEVI, Zeke and Levi working undercover in Liberio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:36:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23071060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gabz/pseuds/gabinotbraun
Summary: Zeke sends Levi undercover to a ballet presentation in Marley's most luxurious Grand Theatre to pick up intelligence for their upcoming raid on Liberio. Both spend the entire show tearing Marleyan customs apart while trying to keep their personal cravings in check... until they can't hold back anymore.
Relationships: Levi & Zeke (Shingeki no Kyojin), Levi/Zeke (Shingeki no Kyojin)
Comments: 33
Kudos: 166





	A Night At The Ballet

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Una noche en el ballet](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28801416) by [gabinotbraun (Gabz)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gabz/pseuds/gabinotbraun)



> UPDATE: I uploaded a Spanish translation of this fanfic that you can read [HERE!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28801416)
> 
> Largely unbeta-ed, English as second language, shitty prose, some ideas go nowhere... yet here it is.
> 
> This started as a conversation between a friend and I on how Levi and Zeke would spend days at Liberio as spies and talk shit about Marleyan customs, both of us being suckers for theaters/opera houses and the impulse to ship these two.
> 
> There's *some* roughness to the smut (not exactly hate sex but it leans close to it). It's not exactly romantic, but there are some complicated feelings involved.
> 
> So far it's a stand-alone story, but I might make this into a series of their undercover adventures in Liberio since I have some other ideas for this mini AU.

Getting used to life on the surface after living in the Underground City for so long hadn't been that hard for Levi, since most things were still the same: a shower was the same no matter if you took a bath in a mansion in Mitras, deep into Wall Sheena, or in a border town in Wall Maria. Yet none of those showers could have ever warmed water on their own like the one in front of him did. Hange spent hours looking at the boiling mechanism that would trigger itself as soon as Levi allowed the water to run, and it would take mere seconds for him to get hot water that his skin welcomed in the middle of the Marleyan autumn.

Steam escaped from the shower when he opened the curtain and clouded the mirror. The image became clearer once he swept the drops away, a deep sigh coming from his lips as he thought about what he would do in the following hours. Looking into his own eyes didn't help him understand why he kept expecting different results if he always did the same things.

A piercing sound coming from the other side of the thin wall interrupted his thoughts, closely followed by Hange's overly excited words.

"Levi! Dinner will be ready soon!"

After putting his undergarments on, Levi stepped into their hotel room, not surprised at all to see his partner holding a speaker against their face and smiling. Said handle connected through a cable to a half-assembled device that Hange worked on.

"What part of lying low didn't you understand, Glasses?" he spat, lowering his voice while he started to get dressed. They didn't know well how many Marleyans devices worked or how advanced their surveillance technology was. He understood Hange's need to make sense of the surrounding artifacts, but doing so might blow their covers. "And who the fuck is Levi?" That statement earned him a giggle from his partner.

"Ah, yes, I mister Rivaille, silly me, I'll get this done in a frilly," they said, rolling the 'r' when saying his undercover name. Hange's eyes still focused on the device they worked on and barely raised to scan the man as he got dressed. "Are you meeting with your friend today too? Is that why you dressed so fancy?"

Levi's mouth flinched at his undercover name, turning away from them after making sure all of his clothes looked presentable in formal attire. He couldn't afford any faux pas that made Marleyan officers suspicious. As of Hange's question, he wasn't in the mood to answer.

"You can tell him I've been having fun with his gifts, I'm sure we'll be able to make something flashy for the final act," Hange continued, their fingers fiddling with the detailed mechanism of the phone while putting it back together. "But also tell him I can't believe he never let us know about this thing that allows effortless and energy-efficient communication across walls and floors, it looks even cuter than wireless communicators," they continued, a spark shining in their eyes. A sigh escaped Levi's throat.

"I'll let that idiot know," he said in deadpan voice, the same as every time he talked about his undercover contact.

No city in Paradis felt like Liberio at night. Lively establishments covered the streets, the stores still waited for clients, playing recorded music that escaped whenever their doors swung open. People smiled while they chugged down wine and beer at restaurants, some of them accompanying dishes in vibrant colors. Cars propelled by oil-burning engines replaced horse carriages and their electric lights kept the roads vibrant.

Levi kept counting streets in his head. If he was not mistaken, he would reach their meeting point in two blocks and a right turn. Acting like a spy almost brought him back to his days in the underground city, checking everyone's faces and suspecting every single one of them. Not the kind of familiarity he found pleasant.

"Hey Captain, what's with that face?"

Levi made an inhuman effort to hold back his reflexive impulse to pin the bearded man to the wall. Chills crept up his neck and reaching the sides of his face, he would never get used to hearing his voice every single time they met. He especially hated it when Zeke showed up to his side, unannounced, like a crouching ape breathing into his ear. It didn't help that Zeke knew the city better than Levi did, in other circumstances he wouldn't have been able to get closer than two meters before Levi could notice him.

"It's my face, you got any problem with that, Beardy?" Levi clapped back, his voice trembling as the hand in his pocket grabbed a concealed foldable knife. His teeth were almost audibly shaking while he locked eyes with the blue pair in front of him, adrenaline rushing through Levi's veins

"Just asking. It looked like you had shit right under your nose," he got as an answer, followed by laughter as the taller man stood up and walked by his side. A heavy arm fell on Levi's shoulder, pulling him closer. "Did you miss me?"

"Miss you? Tsk, your enemies must have blown up your useless brains for good this time," his voice was quieter now, but the beat inside his chest didn't slow down. "I should've killed you four years ago so I wouldn't have to put up with your bullshit now," he added in a whisper. Levi made sure no one else around them could catch a word as he tried to brush the heavy arm off his shoulder. Zeke giggled, as he always did whenever he mentioned their first encounter, his arm feeling heavier then.

"Not the best at first impressions, are we?" he answered in a playful tone, and Levi didn't realize how long he had been staring at his face. His well-groomed beard framing his lips, the way his platinum fringe fell over the frame of his glasses, how his lips curled when he took a drag from his cigarette and how he blew the smoke away from him. Levi had noticed none of that the first time he saw him, his mind was on a single track: killing the Beast Titan who had just wiped out most of the Survey Corps and fulfill his promise to Erwin Smith. But those days felt more distant every second he spent in the continent. Fate was twisted enough to make Zeke and him work for the same goal after everything that happened.

"Sorry for not giving you much detail, but it's a simple task," Levi heard him say, his eyes focusing on the way his lips moved as he spoke, "you just go to the bar, order a dry martini with two olives and make sure not to throw the napkin away when you get your drink, then we'll meet again inside," Zeke said, taking a drag from his cigarette before looking straight into his eyes. "Do you like my face today, Captain?"

A small flinch betrayed Levi's intentions to keep it all to himself. A soft punch landed in Zeke's chest before Levi spoke. "If it's so easy, why can't you do it yourself?"

Zeke's eyes diverted to the red band wrapped around his left arm. "That bar is off-limits for me. It's not considered of good taste." Zeke concluded, pulling two tickets from the inner pockets of his coat and giving one to Levi. "We're going into the fanciest theater in town and a rich tourist is better suited for this job than a low-rank Marleyan soldier or an Eldian warrior."

They reached the last corner and diagonal to them stood the shiniest building Levi had seen since he arrived at Liberio. A four-story colossus covered in gold and red velvet, hundreds of tiny light bulbs flickered a name written in blocky but stylized Marleyan script: The Helos Grand Theater. A huge illustration stood on top, two dancers on their tiptoes holding in an embrace while lavishly looking into each other's eyes, with the words _The Siberian Ballet presents The Enchanted Prince_ written on the bottom.

"What the fuck is this place?" He cursed in a whisper, he felt confident in being able to sneak in, but if he had learned something it was that richest were usually well connected with the Marleyan government and their military forces. One faux pass could crack his entire mask in a second and make him stand out like a sore thumb.

"I was sure you mentioned having theaters on the island," Zeke said with a puzzled look, finishing his cigarette and throwing him into a nearby trash bin.

"Yeah, idiots in costumes entertaining townsfolk in the main plaza once a month, puppet theater for kids, shit like that, not... this flashy thing. And what even is a _ballet_?" He kept saying as low as he could. He could see nice, polished cars parking in front of the building and elegantly dressed people that stepped out and walked through the glass doors into the luxurious interior.

"It's _bah-leh_ ," Zeke corrected him, a smug expression showing in his face that Levi still didn't grow accustomed to. He still wanted to punch Zeke's face every time he treated him like an uneducated animal, and apparently Zeke enjoyed it since he kept doing the same over and over again. "It's an elegant dance performance, even a child could deduce that from the poster."

"Meanwhile, we've been cutting titan's napes and trying to keep our population from eating their own piss and crap every time you got into our walls. You assholes have too much free time to come up with shit like this," Levi answered, letting a sigh out. "Bar. Dry martini, two olives. Napkin. It'll be quick." he said in a whisper, before attempting to escape the arm on his shoulder and walk into the blinding lights that shone upon the block in front of him, yet Zeke's right arm held him too as his left hand traveled down to his coat's pocket. The shorter man's hand quickly held the other's wrist before he could sneak inside his garment. "Get… your hands… off me, Beardy."

Levi couldn't see his own expression in a mirror, but Zeke's reaction served as one when his gaze also hardened at the time he encountered Levi's killer stare. Zeke leaned in, his beard lightly brushing against his ear as he whispered, enough for a chill to run down Levi's spine. He hated how much Zeke had got to know him. "If I were a rich allied tourist, I wouldn't want to become a target of suspicion for entering a respected establishment with a weapon, giving a signal of feeling threatened would be a big red flag, and Marley isn't very fond of spies," his raspy voice made the words crawl into his brain, he was barely able to understand them. He felt Zeke's fingers curling around the foldable knife and taking it. As soon as he did it, Levi felt his shoulders finally relieved from the weight of his arms. "A warrior may have a better excuse for this. We'll meet again in the auditorium, in our assigned seats."

Even if Zeke wasn't smoking in that moment, the smell of burnt tobacco dancing around them before Levi stepped forward. Still feeling emptiness from their distance, Levi let his silence be the closure of their conversation, walking into the light and crossing the street with the ticket inside his pocket. A hand ran through his fringe, sweeping it to a side to sport a more polished appearance (even if he knew it wouldn't last long), his back straightened up as his stern look seemed to engulf the luxurious air as if it was natural for him, even earning him a bow from the young man that opened the door for him without even showing him his ticket. And after he was inside, a weight lifted off his shoulders. He was finally out of reach of Zeke's blue eyes, and he truly didn't know whether he felt relieved or nostalgic.

When they were in his natural habitat, Marleyans looked careless and even naïve. They felt so protected by their lifestyle that the thought of the man behind them being a spy from the island they were at war with wasn't something that could ever run through their minds. It was simply impossible. So they talked freely and happily, enjoyed every day like only someone is completely sure that their life is out of every possible danger could do. And it wasn't just a Marleyan thing. Even if Marley differed vastly from the cities inside the walls, they ground their reasoning in a sense of safety that could only be attained while using others as spear and shield. If it wasn't because of their hatred towards Eldians, Levi was sure everyone present at the theater that night would get along really well with the former nobles of Wall Sheena, and maybe even the current military rulers. Even their stench was the same, their overconfidence was the same, and the hypocrisy was the same.

It boiled up his blood, but he needed to hide all those feelings under his skin before anyone noticed something was off.

After getting his drink in a cocktail glass, the theater's staff signaled the people in the bar that the show was about to begin, which saved him from having to sip the liquor. His eyes quickly scanned the rest of the attendants in the bar, some of them left almost empty drinks on their tables and some others walked with their glasses and cups in hand. Levi's cup remained untouched on the bar, but it would be too suspicious to leave it there, so he held it as he approached the entrance to the auditorium. To his surprise, the usher flinched as soon as he checked his ticket. Levi held himself for a moment, thinking for a second that Zeke Yeager had finally busted him and blaming himself for his own stupidity. The young man then spoke with a shaky voice.

"Sir, I think there's been a mistake with your seat assignment, would you like us to relocate you?" he said, bowing again before continuing. Levi had to hold himself again not to release a sigh of relief. He got a grasp of the situation quickly.

"It's not a mistake. I chose that seat myself," he spoke, trying to keep his voice low but stern at the same time. Switching seats wasn't an option when he had to meet with Zeke inside and he didn't know how to navigate the auditorium himself since the big idiot didn't provide him with enough resources.

"I must insist, sir. There's an available seat at the ambassador's balcony, it has the best view of the stage," the young man insisted, lowering his head a little more. Levi let a muffled complaint out.

"Thanks for the offer, but I prefer the view from my seat, that's why I chose it and I don't see any reason to change it," Levi insisted, taking a short sip from his martini and trying not to flinch as the sour cocktail sat on his tongue.

"I understand, sir, my deepest apologies. Please follow me."

The hallways looked as lavish as the rest of the lobby, with carpeted staircases meandering under crystal chandeliers, making the golden handle shine even brighter. The young man took him to the highest floor and led him through one of the tall wooden doors. Unlike the lower floors, the lobby looked slightly more somber and empty, as if the rest of the attendants avoided it. Even his guide seemed engulfed by unease. As soon as they entered the gallery, lights twinkled in front of Levi's eyes. Almost at eye level was an enormous chandelier illuminating the entire room, with hundreds… no, thousands of crystals dangling in different patterns around small light bulbs, reflecting light on the walls, columns, and seats. Smaller lamps sat on the columns to even out the lights in the balconies and the edges of the lower floor, but none of them could compete to the way the main chandelier glimmered, claiming the space for itself.

The young man showed Levi his seat and then sprinted back to the lobby. Levi's cold stare followed him until he left the gallery, before placing his elbows on the balcony to admire the elegant marvel in front of him for a while longer. He was careful not to drip anything from his glass, which looked incredibly prone to spill.

" _The Queen_ is beautiful, isn't it?" Levi's eyes didn't move away from it. "I imagine your friend sketching it like crazy and not resting until they made a replica."

" _The Queen_? You're so mad you give names to stuff now," Levi's voice sounded devoid of emotion, still distracted by the glimmering lights. At least he was right on how excited Hange would be if they could see it. "How do they clean it? It must get dirty up there."

"Never heard you complain about your walls having names too," Zeke said with a chuckle. "I think they lower it to the floor for maintenance once or twice a year, maybe? It's very delicate. I heard this presentation was so important for Marley that they did special maintenance outside their schedule, that's why it shines so bright tonight," Zeke stood by his side, mirroring his position while he smoked a cigarette. Levi scanned him through the corner of his eye, he had taken his coat off but kept his olive suit jacket, wearing a long sleeve cream shirt, a garnet tie and khaki pants, his clothes somewhat resembling his military uniform except for his jacket. "After we're done with everything, maybe you can move in and clean it every day, I've got a feeling that it'd be your dream life."

"My dream life will start after I kill you," Levi whispered between his teeth, still perfectly audible for Zeke. "That's all you need to know."

Zeke scoffed in a playful tone that failed to charm Levi, but he always kept trying whenever the topic surfaced. Levi found it more and more irritating every time he did it, waiting for the day when he could finally slice the beast's nape with his blade.

"Are you gonna drink that?" Zeke said, pointing at the glass Levi carefully held from its thin stem.

"This pig's piss? I tried, it sucks. You can have it all," Levi said, expecting him to take the glass from his hand immediately, and turning his head when Zeke didn't do as he expected. Instead, Zeke held his cigarette in his mouth while he took his suit off, the buttons on his shirt tightening as his body flexed underneath, the fabric sticking to every crevice and fold of his skin. He took a moment to reattach the red band to his left arm before leaving the jacket over an empty seat, and in a seamless motion grabbing the glass from Levi's stiff fingers, needing a moment to let go.

"Did you get it?" Zeke asked, after pulling the cigarette away from his mouth and holding it in the same hand as the glass, bending over the balcony as he saw how the patio was almost full while the giant red, velvety curtain still blocked the view of the stage. Levi's hand reached his pocket and pulled the folded napkin, he had made sure it didn't get wet through all his journey through the theater. He opened it up only to find seemingly random letters and numbers written in four lines. His eyes quickly checked his perimeter, even in dim light and the air buzzing with everyone's conversations in the hall, he couldn't be completely sure no one else was on their floor. "This means we'll get the good stuff soon," Zeke muttered after eyeing the napkin, taking a long sip from the glass. Levi could read it too, precise indications of their next drop off. Things were finally taking shape. "I told you it'd be a child's play."

"Yes, it was, and there's nothing left for us here," Levi muttered, not sure if he was talking to Zeke or to himself, noticing how the lights gradually dimmed, the chandelier's tiny crystals flickering a little more before the musicians started to play from the bottom floor.

"Leaving so soon? Come on, Levi, live a little," Zeke said in a pleading voice while he sat back on his seat. Levi flinched at the sound of his name and Zeke cut him before Levi had a chance to make a sound. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime show, you won't get a chance to see anything like this again," his hand reached Levi's wrist, gently pulling him away from the balcony. "Besides, it'll be suspicious if you leave too early," the lights weren't entirely out yet but he could see a tiny spark glimmering in Zeke's blue eyes behind his glasses. He shook his hand away, sitting back on his own.

"If you're gonna give me a shitty name, at least use it, asshole," he spat, lowering his voice as all the lights went out inside the theater, the only thing still visible to him being Zeke's cigarette when he pulled a drag, finally asking a question that he kept repeating in his head. "Are you supposed to smoke in here?"

Zeke giggled before he answered, and Levi could hear him also taking another sip from his martini. "No, but since we're in a segregated gallery I might as well act like the beast they think I am."

"They love it when you turn into a real beast, so they shouldn't complain," Levi placed his elbow on the armrest, his teeth clicking into a _tsk_ sound and caught a low chuckle coming from the man again. Levi didn't pity Marley's titan shifters, but the country's racial politics were especially jarring for him. They reminded him too much of his time living in the Underground City, the rest of the kingdom turning a blind eye on them. Yet Zeke Yeager moved among Marleyans even if he had to stand rejection, like being forgiven to access certain parts of the theater and getting pushed to an empty section of the theater everyone pretended didn't exist, so much that the young employee felt the urge to relocate Levi out of pure shame. So much for an _Honorary Marleyan_ status.

"Can't change the way things are, can we?" Zeke asked, while the curtain raised and the music started to play louder.

Levi looked down, having a full view of the entire stage as light showered a multitude of performers on the polished wooden surface, all of them wearing light colors and skin-tight suits, the women also wearing what looked like a tapered, light skirt that wouldn't interfere with their leg movements. They started moving, with a certain grace that was familiar to him. The music was vivacious and carried itself in a gentle tone, almost caressing his ears as it resonated in the entire room. The dancers' movements started to get more complex, showing off intricate movements in perfect sync, with the rest of the performers and with the music, some of them looking so effortless they felt uncanny, but Levi could see the actual complexity behind them.

"I bet all of them would best our recruits using ODM gear… they have balance, lower body strength, precision…" Levi muttered, crossing his leg and following who appeared to be the lead dancers on the stage.

"Most of them train for their whole lives, you know? Legend has it that their coaches make them train outside in the middle of winter to strengthen their muscles even more. There are ballet schools in Liberio, but none could stand a chance against them," he added, his face now more visible thanks to the harsh lights reflected from the stage, drinking the last from the martini.

"What a waste of training and good form," true disappointment showed in Levi's face as he spoke, his eyes trying to detail the dancers' movements as best as he could from their position. "All so a bunch of nasty pigs can see something flash, and then they say we're the demons."

"I could tell you about training from hell…" Zeke giggled again, while Levi didn't get the joke, giving him a puzzled look for a second and finding the vague shape of his glasses in the darkness. "Oh, no, I don't want to give you ideas for your poor recruits, I will only say Marley's top brass loves getting experimental when they don't give a damn about theirs," the tone in his voice lost some of its playfulness, as the music shifted from vivacious to a slow, soft ballad theme.

Most of the dancers left the main couple alone on stage and they performed a courting rite to a sweet melody. A tall man danced around a petite woman that escaped his reach over and over again. The way their bodies moved and could portray the indecisiveness, awkwardness, excitement, and tension of that first contact with someone you feel attracted to… no, even more. The way she rejected his advances and denoted shame and pain whenever it was she who tried to reach out, Levi could see it was a forbidden love. The combination of the lights, the music, the eventual coming and going of the rest of the dancers emphasized the pain both lovers went through the story they were portraying without any words.

"They're incredible," he heard Zeke mutter as he lighted another cigarette, "The way she moves reminds me of someone," he added. Levi glued his eyes to the stage, trying to ignore Zeke's eyes piercing him again. "Do you know the story of the Enchanted Prince?"

"Doesn't ring a bell, sounds like Marleyan shit to me," Levi answered, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Are you sure? The tale's older than the Great Titan War," Zeke looked into Levi's eyes, who just shook his head. "See, it's about a young townsman who's in love with the most beautiful girl in town, but the prince of a neighbor kingdom becomes smitten with her at first sight, declares his love and they get engaged. The townsman goes to a witch and asks her to turn the prince into a monster before the wedding. He wants to kill the monster and become a hero to impress the girl," Zeke continued. Meanwhile, Levi's eyes were focused on the stage, which showed the witch's lair after a scenery change. The lights dimmed and the musicians played somber melodies.

"What happens next?" Levi asked minutes after.

"It's not fun if I tell you the whole story, just watch the play," he said in a low chuckle. Levi rolled his eyes. A ghost of a smirk stayed on Zeke's face and Levi knew he just wanted to annoy him from the start. He would have punched him if they were anywhere else, but the music was so soft at that moment that everyone could hear Zeke's wimps.

He decided to play a little trick of his instead. Levi leaned in closer to him and he could feel Zeke's blue eyes fixated on his movements. It was rare when he voluntarily closed their distance and he knew his partner would go into a short circuit as soon as he did it. Levi's fingertips barely grazed Zeke's hand when he stole his cigarette without the blond man realizing it until he was back on his seat. Levi had tried smokes in the island and he hated them enough to notice how much Marleyans had improved them, filtering most of the nasty, burnt flavor and keeping the earthy, minty and fragrant notes. He still wouldn't smoke out of his own free will, but he'd do it just to annoy Zeke.

"You have to be cruel, don't you? That was my lucky one!" he complained, not even attempting to recover the cigarette. Levi pressed his lips around the cylinder, pulling a soft drag before blowing all the smoke in Zeke's face, making sure to get some on his glasses.

"Maybe," Levi answered, his voice deadpan. "It's your fault for reeking of smoke all the time, you nasty ape," he repeated the same action, seeing how Zeke tried to fan the smoke away from his face, even though he could barely see anything beyond his fogged glasses. "Don't try my luck or I may end up killing you in a few days."

"Is this what I get for taking you on a proper date? I try to be a gentleman but you end up shitting on me on anyways," Zeke spat, his voice slightly less confident than usual even if he finally dialed up on the foul language.

"You're so full of shit, Beardy," Levi whispered, holding the cigarette between his extended phalanges. "A date in a barn full of nasty pigs reeking of their privileged stench and drinking their own piss, with the man who wants to see you dead more than anything else in the world, how thoughtful of you," Levi said, leaning back in his seat with his head still turned towards his partner, taking another smoke. He heard a giggle from Zeke. "Now what?"

"I just realized we kissed… indirectly," he said, pointing at the cigarette on Levi's fingers. "It's my lucky one, indeed."

"Congratulations. You just invented the most boring kiss ever, weirdo," Levi's deadpan voice sentenced, his eyes returning to the stage after a piercing sound reached them from the lower galleries. A taller man with a grotesque mask now moved across the stage, haunting the rest of the characters. The man wore a skintight peachy leotard, and tried to fight against the townsman. It managed to break his sword, but the young lady brought him a lance so he could keep on fighting. "Helos against the titans all over again. Marley's favorite story."

"You see, it wasn't hard to guess. There was a different version, but it's not… that convenient for Marley," Zeke said, his hand attempting to casually recover his half-consumed cigarette from Levi's hand. Levi evaded him before he could snatch it. "I'm sure you said you hated smokes."

"Maybe I lied," Levi said with a slight shrug.

Zeke took his dirty glasses off and cleaned them with the corner of his jacket before turning his eyes back to the stage. They kept watching the scene, as more depictions of titans took the stage, acting a massacre while music sounded rampant and menacing. Even if the dancers were still making graceful moves, the scene was well crafted enough that the tension felt almost like a real encounter with mindless titans. The sound matched reality too. Levi had a hard time trying not to close his eyes before scenes from his past flashed behind his eyes.

His stare followed Zeke again, his hands tense on his knees, his chest tight and his blue eyes staring into him as soon as he reached them. Levi took another smoke, trying to get a bit more of the relaxing sensation he felt spreading through his chest.

"My mom used to tell me a bedtime story not so different from this one," Levi said, turning his face towards the stage again. The music prepared everything for a climax, Helos with his lance in hand going against the mindless titans while the biggest one ran away. "In the story, there was a young man who turned into a monster too, but it was the girl's love and compassion who kept him human, saving her from the mean prince," he concluded, turning towards his partner again. There was a spark in Zeke's eyes as he heard the story. He looked like words were trapped inside his mouth but he just kept quiet, put his glasses back on and focused on the play.

Zeke looked like he could really use the last bit of the cigarette. Levi moved his hands closer to him and caught Zeke's confused look. He waited a moment and took the cigarette before Levi changed his mind, taking it straight to his lips and burning what was left of the cigarette in a slow drag, slowly exhaling the smoke away from his partner.

"Love? Saving monsters? What a shitty fantasy," Zeke whispered to himself, but loud enough for Levi to hear, almost at the same time as Helos dealt the killing blow to a titan on stage.

"Exactly," Levi whispered, pulling him by the tie, his eyes piercing the blue orbs in front of him, only visible by the reflected stage lights. "That's how you'll die, you won't get any compassion or any love, you may think that your shitty brother loves you but he's as much of a piece of shit as you."

He hated Zeke Yeager. He had to be the one who killed him. Having to mingle with him had been a disgusting task as first, but as he knew more about the man, more conflicting feelings moved inside him. He could never deny how smart and swaying he was, to a degree he rarely saw on people. And he knew Zeke wasn't asking for forgiveness when he muttered those words. Levi wondered how everything could be if fate and history hadn't pitted them against each other from the beginning. Yet forgetting about it wasn't an option, neither was forgiving.

"Yeah, I know. I'm a monster, I killed your comrades, I murdered an entire innocent village, you're gonna pierce your blade so deep inside my ass before you finally cut my neck and spine in so many pieces no one will know how to put them back together…" Zeke said, interrupting him. He normally spoke in a snarky tone whenever he cut Levi off in the middle of his revenge speech, repeating the same words Levi had said before.

But this time it was different, his words carried exhaustion instead of sarcasm. Even though Zeke never showed any remorse from all the people he killed (not even when he acknowledged it), there was something else in the warrior's mind, and he could feel it. That window of vulnerability pulled him to Zeke's depths, just like every single time he had looked through those glasses for too long. He didn't even remember how many times he had fallen through the blue ponds in front of him.

He was getting too used to it.

Tugging on the red tie like a leash, Levi smashed his lips towards the slightly parted lips in front of him. His palate was full of the smoky, earthy flavor Zeke's lips always gave him, pushing his tongue further into his mouth to taste more of that. At that point, Levi had learned the hard way how bottling up his cravings only lead to them taking hold on him more intensely, just as both of them lost control into the kiss rather quickly, hardness of breathe becoming present along the slicky sounds and lip bites that increased in strength as time went by.

"You were right… indirect kisses are way too boring…" Zeke whispered, taking a momentary break. Levi's hand slid the knot down Zeke's tie in a single motion.

"Shut up, Beardy," Levi muttered before taking his lips again, feeling the eagerness of Zeke's tongue playing with his and enjoying the gentle tickle when his beard brushed against his face.

He already lost count of how many times they had kissed since his arrival to Liberio, but he was sure they were far too many. If anyone asked him why he was being intimate with the one person he swore to kill, he couldn't give a straight answer. He hated Zeke Yeager. That much he was sure of, and that flame would never extinguish until he fulfilled his promise and killed him. But there was so much about the man he would have never got to know before making that promise, and he was dragged into a war which dimensions he could have never imagined before setting foot on the continent, with his number one enemy becoming his ambassador and partner against either's will.

Soon his hand also unbuttoned the top of his shirt and wandered across Zeke's chest and shoulder. Levi could also feel a hand caressing his undercut, and another gripping the shirt right above his pants. He wanted him to go lower, he wanted to feel his touch, but a sudden jolt from the musicians reminded him that they were in a very public place with great acoustics, even if they were alone in their floor.

"Not here… everyone will hear us..." Levi whispered, grabbing Zeke's wrist before he could undo his belt buckle.

"More like they'll hear you," Zeke said, and he was interrupted by Levi's knee pressing against his crotch with moderate force. Zeke's immediate reaction was to cover his mouth and muffle his moan until the foreign pressure slid off the sensitive area and he could speak again. "Shit, Levi… We can't leave yet… we need to blend in with the rest of the attendees to get out…" He answered between pants, his shirt already showing part of his shoulder, his whispers sounding closer to pleads. Then Zeke's expression suddenly changed, as an idea reached his mind. "The restrooms, outside," he muttered quickly, trying to pull himself together, pecking Levi's lips in a short kiss and dragging his teeth over them softly. He received then a jab in the ribs in response.

The sound of their sloppy kisses resonated between the shiny walls lined with tiles, the huge mirrors and the golden finishes on every single detail. The restroom was showered in a golden light coming from the lamps, adding a vibrant shade to Zeke's blond hair and beard. Levi sweated desire and need for release, and he was starting to get used to Zeke's way of fulfilling it. They had already taken their jackets off and Zeke's glasses were tucked in his. They were at each other's neck and shoulder, Levi already releasing the rest of Zeke's shirt and sinking his teeth deep into his skin, still a little tanned from his time serving in the Eastern Allied Forces territory.

Levi craved it so bad he was starting to feel tight inside his pants.

"You, asshole…" he muttered, not holding back when he kicked Zeke's legs and made him fall on his knees. A growl came from the blonde man's lips. Zeke didn't oppose any resistance, but held on Levi's legs to avoid falling sideways. Levi's hand pulled handful of the golden locks, shining as bright as the ornaments around them, and forced him to lift his view. "Don't be so fucking clumsy or I'll break your legs for real next time. Now, suck me."

"Yes, Captain…" Zeke answered, Levi's hand still in his hair. Zeke undid the belt and button in front of him, before another hard tug on his hair forced him to look up, his hands still busy.

"I can't hear you," Levi said his waist leaning against the marble countertop where the sinks rested.

"I said… yes, Captain!" Zeke spoke louder this time, Levi's semi-erect cock in his hand already.

"You talk too much, didn't I order you to suck my cock? Or did you roll your head in shit and you can't hear now?"

Zeke didn't answer, he was too busy fighting against Levi's hand pulling his hair to get his lips over his shaft already. A deep groan came from Levi's mouth as soon as he felt the wet warmth around him, while Zeke's lips kept moving up and down, his tongue playing with his tip and foreskin folds. Levi held on his hair tighter, closing his eyes and grinding his teeth as the sensations got more intense. Saliva dripped from his dick to his balls and Zeke started to massage them as well, earning short and low pants from his partner. Levi yanked the hair between his fingers and pushed his hips forward, holding Zeke's head in place while he fucked his mouth over and over again, starting to lose control of his moans and pants. Levi barely felt Zeke's hands letting go of his legs to reach the small tin of lube in his pocket and only noticed when his slick fingers started to circle his hole, applying enough pressure to make him understand Zeke was asking permission to go any further.

Levi cursed, trying to get his own cravings in check. He would love to keep the power play forever, but he knew the moment he allowed Zeke to be the one pleasing him he had already lost most of his own power. He knew he was a mess, as he was the first time he got carried away and allowed himself to get intimate with him. But he couldn't help feeling addicted to the way Zeke insisted of courting the man he knew hated him the most, he couldn't stop himself from indulging in doing as he pleased with the man, no matter how rough, no matter how cruel. Zeke Yeager was a calculating mastermind who suddenly took reckless, daunting risks when it came to courting Levi, always challenging him to go further, and that was irresistible. Levi opened his eyes again, looking down straight at Zeke's.

"What the fuck are you waiting for? Don't you fucking tease me, you… ugly… reeking… piece of shit…" he muttered between pants, his speech starting to get cut when wet fingers started to stretch him. Zeke had already learned a thing or two about how to please him, and even though Levi treated him very roughly the first times they had sex, he was starting to allow himself to enjoy it. Levi kept the pace, pulling and guiding Zeke's head against his hips, feeling his beard brushing between his thighs, as foreign fingers followed suit between his cheeks. The rhythm was intoxicating, and Levi had to pull Zeke's face away from his crotch before he got too close to finishing.

Zeke looked into his eyes, licking the excess saliva from his own swollen lips, even if some had already made its way to his beard. A sigh came out of his parted lips, pushing his fingers more harshly. Levi moaned, and his foot found its way to Zeke's crotch, stomping down hard until he saw Zeke's expression change and not hesitating on how much force he applied.

"You really… are insatiable… aren't you, Captain?"

"Shut up… your mouth's full of shit," Levi whispered, still hearing the music across the walls. But his mind couldn't pay any attention to it when he felt Zeke's hard cock under his foot. "You… will fuck me… until I fucking want to… if you don't come, that's your fucking problem…"

A kiss cut Levi's words, after Zeke yanked his tie and made him lower his face to his. In response his foot stomped hard against his crotch again until he managed to get a loud moan from Zeke's mouth, pain and pleasure mixed in his voice. Levi kept thinking about the man having a clear death wish, while Zeke's fingers were still loosening him up.

"Shit… I love your stinky mouth, Captain," Zeke managed to mutter, his face still flinching while his cock throbbed under Levi's foot. "You never… fail to surprise me…" his voice lowered between pants, seeing how Levi's eyebrows furrowed too when another slicky finger entered him.

"You're pathetic… you get off from being treated like shit… like a stupid beast… an idiot monkey…" Levi said, keeping better control over his words, resisting the urge to stroke his own cock until he came on Zeke's face.

"What about you?" Zeke asked, their gazes locked. "The righteous soldier gets off from torturing his enemy… and you can't stop coming back for more… can you, Captain?"

Levi finally lifted his shoe off Zeke's crotch, not breaking their eye contact until Zeke stood up and cornered him against the countertop. Zeke towered him for at least a head, his skin was tinted in pink from his cheeks to the upper part of his chest, which still moved to the pace of his heavy breathing.

"So what if I want more?" He snapped back at him, his voice deadpan, watching how Zeke lowered his pants and underwear to uncover his fully erect cock and spread more lube on it. "I'll have as much of you as I want, being stuck with you is already drag… and you're a good fuck, at least," he said before turning placing his hands on the countertop and sitting above the marbled surface, holding his weight on his hands.

When Levi lifted his gaze again, he was not expecting to see a petrified and blushed Zeke, as if he just heard a declaration of love. Luckily, Levi's angry stare in return seemed to be enough to snap the man out of it.

"That's gotta be the nicest thing you've ever said about me," Zeke chuckled, sinking his face in Levi's neck again, his beard lightly tickling his skin. "Thank you for noticing my efforts, Captain," he whispered in his ear, nibbling on his lobe as he slid his shaft between Levi's cheeks and the marbled surface, a low moan coming from his throat.

"What the fuck are you doing? Just fuck me alrea… ah, yes…" Levi complained, wrapping his legs around Zeke´s waist, but his words were cut short when Zeke's cock pushed through his hole. His breath started out of control as Zeke moved at a moderate pace inside him.

"Fuck… you're still tight…" Zeke said between pants, taking one of Levi's legs and pushing it against the cold marble, looking for more space to move a little deeper.

"Harder," Levi moaned in his ear, sneaking one of his hands under his shirt to hold onto his back, holding the rest of his weight in one hand. "Shit, Beardy, I said harder! Can't you fucking hear?" He yelled, and Zeke conceded, thrusting deeper and faster inside him. Levi felt the burn between his thighs, clenching his nails deeper in Zeke's back and dragging them, making sure to dig them deeper until he felt his partner's teeth also clenching in his shoulder. It felt right, just enough to drive him over the edge again, he just had to hold on a bit longer.

"Fuck… Levi…" Zeke moaned close to his ear, well aware of Levi's reaction whenever he mentioned his name in public. Soon Levi's nails stopped digging his skin so his fingers could curl and punch him in the gut for using his real name in public again. His unhinged force caught Zeke by surprise, staying still for a moment to catch his breath again and allowing the pain to settle. He enjoyed it way too much, the sole fact that he could make Levi react that strongly anytime he wanted to was thrilling in its own way. When immense amounts of pain were constant in his life, being able to choose where it came from fell empowering, even exciting, an immense pleasure no one could take away from him.

"Oi… Beardy… who told you to stop?" Levi muttered between heavy pants, his eyes shooting daggers at Zeke. He swirled his own hips on the marble, and the smug smile on Zeke's face just enraged him more. "Don't tell me the Beast can't take a blow now… shitty weakling…"

"Jeez, Captain… one can indulge in fantasies too…" Zeke ran his hands over Levi's chest, barely grazing his nipples under the fabric of his open shirt. Levi rolled his hips again, his eyes almost begging him to move, he knew using brute force would only please Zeke more. "Oh, you call _that_ teasing?" He moved closer and deeper inside him, but didn't move further. Playing again with Levi's nipples made him twitch harder around his cock. Levi tried to move his own hips again to feel friction. The heat coming from Zeke's hands, the way he pinched his skin harder every time, how he got him pinned down begging for more, the jolts of pleasure coming from every corner of his chest as Zeke kept touching him: his armpits, his neck, right below his ribs, Zeke had him all mapped out. "Enjoying yourself too much to be your sweet bossy self now?"

He knew how deadly Levi Ackerman was, and as dominant and bossy he could get whenever they had sex, for a moment the tiny body that carried a weapon of mass destruction inside was his to please. Every moan, every shiver, every sweat drop, all of those were his. Even the new marks he left on Levi's body, siting close to every single scar and blemish from his uncountable battles, felt like trophies.

"Asshole… to think you'd grow out your shitty taste for beatdowns… I'm… gonna… kill you…" Levi's eyes avoided his, even covering his own blushed face with his hands. Meanwhile, his body couldn't stop jerking itself against Zeke's hips, which gave him very little room for movement. "Fuck you, Beast."

"Fuck me," Zeke said in a lower voice, grabbing Levi's wrists and taking them away from his face, looking him in the eyes. "Fuck Marley, fuck Eldia," he said in the same tone, leaning in to kiss him deeply, aggressively. Levi's hands found their way to his back again and soon he felt Zeke's cock thrust inside him again, making him moan louder into the kiss. "Fuck the entire world."

Zeke held his lower back with one arm and pulled him closer to the edge, adjusting the angle to try and reach that sweet spot inside him, the one that made Levi tweak between his arms and moan louder, the one that made him clench even tighter to him. Zeke didn't need to hear Levi's words to know he was driving him to his climax: the way his body tightened around him, the way Zeke's torso arched against his chest, and the sudden hard bites on his neck were enough tells. Even his orders started to sound like pleads.

"Touch me… I'm close…" he demanded in a low, velvety voice that melted Zeke inside, who fought against his own shaky knees not to slow down the pace.

Stroking Levi's cock made him even more of a trembling mess, his free leg moving aimlessly around Zeke's back and his nails digging his skin again, as if the sensations were too strong to keep them trapped in his small but sturdy frame. Zeke straightened his neck for a second, trying to look into his eyes but noticed Levi was looking somewhere else. Blue eyes crossed paths with dark steel in one of the mirrors, as Levi looked invested in how they'd look from that point of view: both sweaty, half undressed and with their bodies almost at their peak.

Both of them were so close that their eye contact didn't last long. Levi came on Zeke's hand, some of his white cum dropping on his lower abdomen, and his exhausted body fell flat on his back over the cold stone. He used his free leg to push Zeke's body away until he slid out of his body, still hard.

"Here, I'll finish you off," Levi said in a very thin voice in the middle of his heavy breathing, extending his arm until he could reach Zeke's cock, stroking him as hard as he could. Zeke placed both hands on the countertop, holding himself while his knees again attempted to fail, not shy of allowing his moans, growls and unintelligible mumbles out of his mouth. Levi's smaller but calloused hands had the perfect texture to send him over the edge. When combined with his roughness, Levi's touch had the power to drive him crazy. But the cherry on top was knowing that Levi didn't _have to_ make him come, but he did nonetheless. Just the thought turned his face into a deeper shade of red right before cum spurted on Levi's lower abdomen. "Took you long enough…" he finally said before letting go of him.

Their pants and heavy breaths filled the empty room. Zeke's face turned to his side, but his eyes lurked around the body in front of him. The heat and blood still tainted his face and his mouth was speechless, too many emotions blocking his throat. Levi looked significantly less flustered, but spent nonetheless, a similar conflict showing through his squinted eyes and furrowed brows. As soon as Levi tried to incorporate, Zeke couldn't help but reach out and support his back, leaning closer to him. Usually, that move had a high percentage of earning Zeke a hard punch, but that time he only got a heavy sigh from Levi before his back curved towards him. The moment he felt Levi's forehead against his shoulder. A quick peek at the mirror in front of Zeke revealed a rosy tint on his cheeks he was glad Levi couldn't see. For one moment, he wished he could freeze that moment forever, that short afterglow where Levi's guard was low enough to let him come and stay close to him.

Their shared silence was only filled by their ragged breaths and the sound of music, and minutes passed the music came to a halt while they recovered their breaths, followed by a vigorous applause. A wake up call, telling Levi it was time to quit the act, to stop playing around the enemy. Levi placed his hand on Zeke's chest and pushed himself back against the mirror even if the burn felt harsher in his hips, still trying to repel the awkward feeling the applause gave him. Zeke, on the other hand, clung to every second he could keep his arm around Levi's back, until he had to let go. While the applause continued, he couldn't hold back a chuckle that grew louder whenever he tried to stop himself.

"Now you really lost it," Levi said before reaching the golden handle to his side to open the faucet. "At least you finished on time."

"All thanks to the hand you lent me," Zeke asked in an amused tone, looking for a handkerchief in his fallen pants and handling it to Levi, who was already trying to clean himself up. He'd love to do it for him, but he was sure Levi wouldn't take that well.

"Fucking weirdo. There won't be a next time."

Levi sighed after his words, he wished he enjoyed more whenever he got ready to part ways with Zeke. Lately, all of their meetings ended the same way. He could never say he was fond of the man in front of him, nor he forgot all the blood he shed, but he was getting too used to their routine. It was probably the only think keeping him sane during his time in the continent.

"Are you done? I can hear people already leaving the room. I doubt they'll come up here, but you should blend in right now," Zeke said, already dressed up, making sure his clothes were as tidy as possible. He glanced at Levi, who was on his feet again, putting on his suit jacket. Levi looked at him through the mirror, noticing a darker spot in his neck.

"What about that?" He asked, pointing at the noticeable hickey on Zeke's white skin. "You can heal it, can't you?"

"Well… I can, I just…" Zeke answered, reattaching the red band on his left arm, and his eyes wandered to the mirror while Levi washed his face. _I don't like healing the marks you leave on me_ , he completed the phrase in his head, but decided not to say it aloud. Instead, a faint steam cloud emanated from his neck while his skin healed back to its normal color.

Levi looked at the man's reflection, the soreness still lingered in his hips but it was manageable, and all of his hickeys hid under his clothes. Even if he didn't want to, his eyes always found their way back to Zeke's figure in the background. He never wanted to tap much on how he felt about him, more than seeing him as means to an end. They were stuck with each other, both in a country that would love to skin them alive, finding excuses to get into dangerous situations just for the thrill of it. Both of them knew they could have left at any time they wanted, provided they used the right excuse with the staff and sustained them with good acting. In the end both pretended to enjoy a show that wasn't more than an ornamented love letter to the systematic hatred towards their blood. If only the Marleyan elite knew two Eldians had gotten off to their hate, like they couldn't care less.

"I guess they won't check upon anyone at the exit, right?" Levi said, producing the foldable knife from his pocket. While he flipped it open and shut it close in a single movement, Zeke patted his own pockets in confusion. "Don't become careless, Beardy. You don't know when you'll get hunt," Those were the last words Levi spoke before walking towards the door, followed by Zeke's heavy eyes.

"Maybe I'll let you hunt me, Captain. It sounds thrilling," Zeke said, loud enough to make sure Levi heard when he opened the door, even if he didn't utter a word before slamming it behind him. Once he was alone in the restrooms, Zeke's knees gave in and his back slid against the wall until he was sitting on the shiny floor. Letting out a deep sigh, he wondered about what that little imp had that made Marley feel lively, at last.

Levi got his coat back from the cloak room and walked into the still surprisingly bright Marleyan night, making a mental note to get Hange something interesting to keep them from asking too many questions about his evening. While his eyes kept checking every shop's window, his tongue couldn't stop licking his own lips, wondering when they'll taste like themselves again and savoring the tobacco flavor while it lasted.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so so so so much if you made it this far. If you want to see me ramble more about Zevi and my ideas for future fics, I'm always around [on twitter](https://twitter.com/gabinotbraun/).


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